Silent Features
by LeleChaos
Summary: When Bruce left Gotham, He left behind one person who will never really be able to forgive him for it. At least that's what she thinks. Batman Begins.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of the wind crashed into my ears like a 60 mph head on collision

The sound of the wind crashed into my ears like a 60 mph head on collision. It was dark, cold, and their was lightning lighting up the sky every once in a while. Under the sound of the wind, I heard what seemed to be a river, flowing as fast as a monsoon. My feet were bare and I felt a stinging coldness, like cold metal. Standing there with my eyes shut, tightly, I felt as if someone else was there also. Like someone was watching me, guarding me. I opened my eyes and was frozen from the sight I beheld. A great river was fastly flowing beneath me and the object I stood upon, a bridge. I began feeling the overwhelming urge to jump, but then suddenly I was halted by a calm voice, silently whispering. "Breathe…"

I shot straight up out of my solitary nightmare. My forehead scattered from a cold sweat, heart racing and mind confused. Glancing over at the clock I noticed it to be 2:30am. "Great", I muttered to myself, knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Leaving my once place of slumber, I retreated to a newly found haven, my couch.

My name is Madeline Thomas, I'm a Doctor at Gotham City Hospital. You see, for the past 6 weeks I have been having the same re-occurring nightmare, same bridge, same river, and same voice. I've been doing my share of research about dreams and what they mean, but unfortunately, all it keeps telling me is that I have a subconscious fear of bridges and people giving me orders. I know better than to believe any of that information.

I would love to come to a conclusion about these dreams and deal with the matter because they are getting in the way of my sleep and for a Doctor sleep is a very precious gift. Between studying, classes and the residency at the hospital, I have to find time to eat and get some rest. But I can't rest if I'm afraid to close my eyes. I should really see a psychologist or some one in that field, yet that doesn't really fit into my agenda.

"Hiya Madi!!", I heard a very chipper voice say.

"Hey, Loren, what's up?" I muttered.

"Oh my God, Madi. You are never going to believe who I saw last night…" I opened my mouth to respond with the normal "no, I can't read minds. Tell me." But she responded too quickly.

"I saw Bruce Wayne!! Apparently he wasn't dead. He claims he was traveling around the world. He was looking really hot….."

"Back up, you mean Bruce Wayne, Prince of Gotham Bruce Wayne?" I interrupted her.

"Yes silly, what other Bruce Wayne would I be talking about? Are you okay? You're not looking too good." She said.

"I need to start my rounds. See you later." I said quickly grabbing my things and practically running out of the room.

The reason for my quick exit goes back about 12 years ago. You see, I went to high school with Bruce. Our parents were really good friends, so Bruce and I were always around each other. All throughout school, people would always ask if we were dating or they'd start rumors that we were. Honestly, I didn't think of Bruce as anything other than Bruce. He was my best friend, the one person who would always be there for me. Until 8 years ago, when he ran away. I can remember that day perfectly. Joe Chill's hearing was at 3 and Alfred had called me earlier telling me how Bruce was going to attend whether we liked it or not. I wasn't so sure how he would act if I said event he slightest thing about him not going. I pulled up to the Wayne Manor, a place I considered my second home. Alfred greeted me at the door, "Hello Miss Madeline, How are you doing, dear?"

"I'm alright, Alfred. Is he here?"

"He should be down shortly. I'll tell him you are waiting. You know you look more and more like your Mother every time I see you."

"Thanks, Alfred."

A few minutes passed as I stood their fumbling with my car keys. I heard footsteps behind me so I turned around to greet a pretty tired looking Bruce.

"Hey there." I said greeting him with a hug.

"Hey yourself." He said half smiling.

"So I'm guessing that there is no way that I can talk you out of going, correct."

"Madeline, someone has to be there to stand up for my parents."

"You know you aren't only one that loved your parents?"

"Well we better get going then." I said trying to change the awkwardness.

The courtroom was packed. Basically, Chill got off free because he tattled on a few of Carmine Falcone's thugs. I was furiated and I could only think of how upset Bruce was. We walked outside in total silence, I definitely wasn't going to be the one to break the silence either. I'll never forget the next moments.

As Joe Chill exited the courthouse a blond with a gun approached him and shot him right after saying "Falcone says thank you." At the same time out the corner of my eye, I saw Bruce pull out a small handgun. By the time Chill hit the pavement I had grabbed Bruce's arm and pulled him behind a tree.

"What the hell were you thinking, Bruce!!" I practically yelled.

"I had to get justice for my parents, Madeline."

"No Bruce, you wanted revenge. Not justice, trust me there's a difference."

"You don't understand. He was right there in front of me and I could have…"

I didn't even let him finish his sentence before I slapped him right across his face. He just stood there with his head down.

"I really deserved that." He whispered.

"I know." I lifted his chin to see a tear fall from his eye. Knowing the press was all around, I suggested that we go somewhere else. When we got into my car, I didn't know where we were going to go but I knew that we weren't going back to the Manor.

We ended up at the park right in front of the fountain, the place where I met Bruce. I got this uneasy feeling that this time it wasn't going to be as fun.

"I'm not going back to Princeton. I'm probably going to take a few years off." He said breaking the silence.

"I bet Alfred didn't take that news easily." I replied.

"Yeah, it wasn't a very good conversation. I think I'm going to head home, okay."

"I can give you a ride, Bruce. You don't have to walk."

"No, it's alright. I need some fresh air and I need to clear my head."

"Well then, if you need me you know where I'll be." I said.

I turned away and started walking back to my car when he grabbed my hand and spun me around to face him.  
"I want you to know something." He said.

"What?"

"I could have never made it this far without you. You don't even know how much you mean to me."

I didn't even get a chance to respond before his pressed his lips against mine. My mind was paralyzed, I couldn't seem to grasp what was happening. He broke the kiss but still was holding the sides of my face. "I love you, Madi." He said.

"I love you, too" was all I could mutter. And with that he walked away…

"Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas!" Someone said breaking me out from my flashback.

"Yes." I answered.

"Dr. Thomas, your mother is on line 4," a nurse said.

"Thank you."

"Hello mom." I said.

"Madeline, darling, Have you seen him yet?" She said.

"No, I haven't. Have you?" I said assuming she was talking about Bruce.

"Yes, dear, I saw him this morning at Wayne Tower. He's taking good care of himself. He asked about you, and I told him you were working at the hospital finishing up your Pediatrician degree."

"What did he say?" I was always a nosey person.

"He said that he was very proud of you and He knew you would be a Doctor." She said.

"Oh, well mom I've got to run. Patients to see, Love you." I said quickly so I could end this conversation and avoid this whole thing, and try to forget about Bruce Wayne, for now.

The rest of my day was pretty busy and I had really forgot about the Prince of Gotham's return. That was until I got home and turned the television on. It was making me a bit angry. "How could everyone be so welcoming to a guy who totally abandoned Gotham and the people of it for 8 years?" I said to myself. On one hand I wouldn't mind seeing him and being his friend, catching up on old times, and maybe seeing what could be. But then there was the other hand. It seemed to be the one I was leaning towards. I could hold a grudge against him, act like he never came back, curse him til the day he died and never ever think of might have been. I was then interrupted by my phone ringing loudly, or louder than usual.

"Hello." I said.

"Madi, it's Loren."

"Hey, whatsup?"

"Well, today is Amanda's birthday and all of us are going out to dinner at the new hotel. And we thought you should come!" she said in a very convincing voice.

"You know what I think I need a night out with the girls. See you there in a half hour?" I said eagerly.

"Okay, meet you there."

"Bye."

"Byess!" she said.

I quickly took a shower and blow dried my hair. After applying some makeup and curling my hair, I raided my closet looking for something "girls night out" appropriate. Sadly, I haven't been shopping in a while because of work. I finally found a black strapless cocktail dress that fitted more like a corset top on the upper half. I grabbed some silver heels and a matching clutch and headed to the hotel. "I hope I don't look like a slut" was all I keep thinking. When I walked in I noticed there was more paparazzi than normal, I figured it was some rock star or ballet dancer. I quickly spotted the ladies and sat down in the empty seat.

"Hey, look who lives outside of the hospital." Amanda jokingly said.

"I know, hopefully I won't turn into a pumpkin at 12. So what major celebrity is here? Because there is more paparazzi here than normal." I said.

The table got quiet, too quiet. Just before Loren was going to spill the beans I heard a pleasant manager say, "Mr. Wayne those areas are not meant for swimming."

I looked at Loren, knowing she would get the hint I was not comfortable being here. "Alright Ladies, let's move this party elsewhere. I'm feeling club Tonic." Loren said saving me. They all agreed and grabbed their purses. I was never one to run away from situations but this was one I just wasn't ready to face.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Batman begins or any of the DC characters. But I do own Dr. Madeline Thomas and the characters that support her. ) **

We were right at the entrance/exit of the hotel and I was almost Bruce free when I heard my name being called. Like any other person, I turned around to see who it was. To my dismay it was the person I was "running away" from.

"Madeline!" he said.

I just stood there, somewhere between shocked, pissed and eager to see how he is.

"Hey, Bruce", I said. He reached forward to give me a hug and I instinctively took a step back. He looked at me with that "what did I do" look.

"Look, Bruce it's not really a good idea to do the whole reunion thing here."

"Why?" he said. "What a dumb question, you idiot!!" I thought to myself.

"Because, these people do not need to hear what I have to say to you." I said.

He just stared at me like he was a lost kid in the grocery store. Why would he be lost? He's friggin Bruce Wayne.

I finally heard him say a very low "Oh."

"Well, I've got to go. Bye."

"Bye, Madi." He whispered.

The rest of my evening was completely ruined, because all I could think or talk about is how much Bruce aggravates me. I noticed that the girls weren't really interested in my vent, so I told them I was going to call it a night. I hugged them all and wished Amanda a happy birthday.

My walk home wasn't a long one, it seemed colder than usual on these streets. I was approaching my building when I heard a banging or should I say collision noise. Being a Doctor, it was instinct to see if someone is hurt or in need of any medical attention. Along the side of the dumpster, I saw a man in a black suit, with some sort of weird mask on, curled up in a fetal like position.

"Hello, Are you hurt?" I said.

No response.

"I can see you are hurting, and if you need help you've got to say something."

In one quick movement he grabbed some kind of device on his belt and jolted up towards the sky. "Wow." I said in a whisper.

After that weird incident, I went to my apartment to find my phone beeping and blinking "You have a new Voicemail." Grabbing it from the charger I dialed the voicemail number and was very surprised by its content.

"Hey Madeline, It's Bruce. I was calling to see if we could meet up for lunch or something. I know we have a lot to discuss and I fully understand if you're going to hate me the rest of your life. Please call me back. Bye"

"Ugh, Go buy a hotel or something, Bruce and leave me alone." I said aloud, even though no one was listening.

I took a quick shower and changed into some sweat pants and a cami. By the way I was blinking slow, I knew it was time for some sleep. My eyes were shut, but I was still awake. I knew that I would have that dream again. "Just go to sleep." I kept repeating to myself. Before I knew it, I was out.

"Breathe…" a raspy voice said to me. I was startled by the tone of the voice but something about it made me feel safe. I saw a hand reach out to me, it was covered in a black material. As soon as I put my hand out to grasp it, I slipped.

Here I was again, sitting in my bed drenched in a cold sweat with my heart racing out of my chest. I was scared, but not because I was slipping to my death but because the dream felt so real. Almost as if I was really standing on that bridge. Sleep wasn't even in my agenda for the rest of the night.

After another shower and a cup of hot tea, I began flipping through the tv channels. Considering the fact it was around 4 in the morning I knew nothing interesting was going to be on. Luckily, I found a Gotham City news channel.

"This is Nancy Kelihar for Gotham City News Channel 23, tonight the infamous Carmine Falcone was found atop the Gotham Police Station tied to a flood light. The police say that he was caught by a masked crusader that has the appearance of a bat. No information as to why Falcone was arrested has been released by the police. But Captain Jim Gordon says "Whoever it was, we thank you." This is Nancy Kelihar for Gotham City News Channel 23, thank you and goodnight."

Masked Crusader? A bat? I knew the City of Gotham had gone to the craps, because a "masked bat crusader" lurked around Gotham catching mob bosses. "Who, in their right mind, would do that?" I thought.

My shift at the Hospital started at 7, I was there at 6. I was so close to finishing my Pediatrician degree and I thought that maybe I'd get bonus points for being there early. And the fact I couldn't sleep didn't hurt either. When I walked into the break room I noticed that on the front cover of the paper that the "masked crusader" had not only earned the lead story but also the name "Batman."

"Hey Madi, so I'm guessing you've heard about the Batman?" Loren said excitingly.

"Yes, and since when does Gotham have to depend on a masked nut job to do the police's work?" I retorted.

"Oh come on, doesn't it feel nice knowing that someone is out there looking out for us at night? Protecting the unprotected."

"Wow, sounds like you're in love already." I said jokingly.

"What if I am, Doesn't it sound romantic?" She said while batting her eyelashes and smiling.

"You've totally flipped. I'm calling the psychologists." I said right before both of our beepers went off.

"Well, looks like we'll have to daydream later. It's a code 3." She said.

Right then, I knew that today wasn't going to be fun. Code 3 is a car wreck with fatal injuries. I don't know how many people were involved, but I know there was a child involved, since that's why they beeped me.

"Dr. Thomas, there is a 4 year old girl in ER 2 with a severe head injury and a possible broken arm. We ran out of rooms due to all the people involved in the collision so she is sharing a room." One of the nurses said to me.

When I got into the room I immediately went to the little girl's bed and began the routine check to see how "severe" her head injury was. She was crying on her already tear stained cheeks. She was holding on tight to a teddy bear with a pink bow on it.

"Alright sweetie, I'm Dr. Thomas but you can call me Madi. I'm going to need you to follow my finger okay?" I said moving my finger from one side of her head to the other.

"Madi, Katie needs her head checked too!" the little girl said.

"Who is Katie?" I asked her. Then she held up her teddy bear.

"Oh, well right after I get you all settled, then we will check Katie. Okay?" She nodded in response.

Everything turned out to be just fine, just a small concussion. I checked the bear for any possible injuries, as I promised her I would. After signing her file, I told her I would be back in a few minutes and for her to just rest.

"I think I have a concussion, too." A very recognizable voice said.

**I love cliffhangers. Reviews are gratefully appreciated! Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Batman Begins or any DC characters, but I do own Dr. Madeline Thomas and the characters pertaining to her.**

"Bruce, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was involved in the car accident." He said as I began walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To get you a Doctor." I stated.

"Aren't you a Doctor?"

"Yes, but not the Doctor you need?" I commented.

"Are you implying that I should visit a psychologist or something?" he asked.

"No, I'm not. But now that you mention it…."

"Madi!"

"I'm a pediatrician, Bruce. I deal with children, not full grown men."

"You're just saying that so you can get away from me and we will avoid the conversation that we both know will occur anyway." He said.

"You want to have this discussion here? Fine. Why'd you leave? Why'd you tell me you loved me and then walk away? Do you honestly think that was a smart move? What about Alfred? Did you ever think about how he would feel about you up and disappearing? Bruce, they said you were dead!" I said trying to catch my breath. He tilted his head down so his eyes were staring at the floor.

"See, you can't even look me in the eyes and give me an answer. I've got to go, when you get the answers to those questions come and see me. Then we'll talk." I retorted while slamming the door and walking as fast as I could out of the Hospital.

I needed fresh air. I needed to clear my mind. I needed to get away. So I did. I just started running, as fast as I could. After about an hour of running, I found myself on the bridge that connected Gotham with the Narrows. It was colder here than it was at the hospital, I figured it was because of the water. The water, it looked so violent yet peaceful at the same time. I caught myself staring at it, but I was interrupted by someone grabbing my arm.

"Hey there, Pretty." He said through his gunk stained teeth.

"What do you want!" I replied.

"Got an attitude, don't cha? Well, I can fix that." He said before grabbing my other arm and leaning me backwards on the bridge so my upper half was hanging over the edge. I screamed as loud as I could.

"Having fun now, Pretty?" he asked. Then out of nowhere a dark figure grabbed the scummy man and shoved him to the ground with one hand, and with the other hand he pulled me down onto the bridge. He beat the living hell out of the guy and then turned to me. My heart was beating fast and my chest felt like it was caving in, I was having a panic attack, I just knew it. The caped crusader looked me in the eyes and said "Breathe." And with that I passed out.

I woke up to an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. Just when I was about to get up, the door opened,

"Ah, Miss Madeline, you're awake." The charming old man said.

"Alfred? How'd I get here?" I asked rubbing my head.

"Master Bruce was on his was home last night and he found you on the bridge unconscious." He answered.

"What was Bruce doing in that part of town?" I asked, realizing that every sentence that had come out of my mouth since I woke up had been a question.

"I was taking my car to the repair shop. You know that wreck I got into damaged my car pretty bad." Bruce said as he walked into the large bedroom.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"My head hurts."

"Here you go Miss Madeline." Alfred said while handing me some aspirin and orange juice.

"Breakfast will be done in a few minutes." He said before leaving Bruce and I alone.

"You should really watch out where you go at night, Madi. The Narrows isn't a good place to be." Bruce said while taking a seat on the side of the bed.

"Don't worry about it, I can roam the streets freely because the "Batman" is protecting me." I said trying to not only to convince Bruce but myself, also.

"Please don't tell me that you think that the Batman is helping."

"No, I used to think he was insane and a total creep, but I'm not too sure I believe that anymore."

"Oh really, and why is that?" He asked.

"No particular reason." I answered. Remembering how he saved my life.

"So, I've been thinking about those questions you asked me," He looked down for a brief second, then stared me straight in the eyes. "I ran because I was scared. I told you I loved you because really I do. My intent on telling you that was so we could be together, not so I could just leave you. Do you think that was easy for me to do? It was so hard to finally build up the courage to tell you how I felt about you. Why would I run away from you after telling you that? After my parents' murder I promised myself that when I met the love of my life, I would tell her. I would tell her how much I loved her and that if anything ever happened that I would always love her." He said.

We both sat their in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. My Father had taught me that it is a sign of weakness to cry in front of others, but I could feel the tears swelling up in my eyes. Lucky for me, Bruce was there to catch the one tear that fell.

"So, can we be friends now or am I going to have to apologize for the rest of my life?" he asked while flashing that gorgeous side smile.

"I think we can work something out." I said grinning.

"Alright then, Breakfast is probably ready about now. We should head down."

"Firstly, I look like a mess and I'm going to take a shower. Secondly, Can I borrow some clothes? These scrubs aren't the most comfortable apparel."

"Sure, I'll be right back." He said.

Before I knew it he was back with some sweat pants and a tee shirt. I thanked him and headed straight for the shower. After a long shower, I changed into the clothes Bruce let me borrow and I looked at myself in the mirror. Between the baggy clothes and the wet hair I could see a bruise on my right arm starting to form. Then it all began to make sense.

The Bridge. The Water. The feeling like I was going to die. The Voice….

**Thank you all for the Reviews, I'm going to try my best to keep updating. )**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Batman or any of the DC characters. I do own Dr. Madeline Thomas and the characters that support her.**

…those eyes. "THOSE EYES!!" I shouted in my head, while sitting down on the bathroom floor. There is no possible way that Bruce is "Batman". Bruce is a billionaire playboy for Christ-sake, he has much better things to occupy his time than to run around in a suit and save Gotham. "I'm just sleep deprived or my blood sugar is low because I'm thinking irrationally here." I said trying to reassure myself.

After calming down and laughing at myself for thinking that Bruce Wayne could actually be Batman, I headed down towards the kitchen to find an appetizing smell enter my nose.

"I made pancakes with strawberries on them, you used to love them." Alfred said.

"Well Alfred, I assure you that my love for those pancakes hasn't changed." I said, making him laugh.

"What are you two laughing at?" Bruce asked.

"Oh, just how Alfred makes pancakes that are amazing." I answered.

"I hate to interrupt you from your pancake heaven, but your beeper has been beeping excessively." Bruce said. I stood up and grabbed my beeper from the table.

"May I use your phone, please?"

"Of course you can, Miss Madeline. Right this way." Alfred said while escorting me to one of the many offices.

"Thank you, Alfred." He smiled. I picked up the phone and began dialing one of the hospital's numbers.

"Gotham General Hospital. May I help you?" a very pleasant voice greeted me.

"Amanda, since when did put you on phone duty?" I asked.

"Since you disappeared last night and some of the secretaries got sick. By the way, Where are you?" Amanda asked.

"Erm, I'm at Bruce's." silence filled the other line.

"MADELINE THOMAS!! What happened to "I hate that man and I wish he would go back to wherever he ran off to?"

"Well it happened, somewhere between being saved by Batman and waking up at Wayne Manor."

"Oh……So how was it? I heard he's a …"

"AMANDA! I did not sleep with him."

"Gosh, I wasn't even going to say that, but now that you mention it."

"You're worse than Loren." I stated.

"So, is me disappearing the reason why I was paged 123 times?"

"Yes and No. The board of Pediatricionary care called and said that if you are ready to take your board test then they have a spot open for you. But you have to call back by 3."

"Are you serious?" I said in disbelief.

"As a heart attack. Why would I lie about that?" She asked.

"OH MY GOD!!" I screamed in joy.

"Well, I've got to go. Hurry up and come in. You have patients to see."

"Alright, I'll be there in about an hour. Bye" I hung up the phone and walked back into the kitchen to see Alfred cleaning up Bruce's plate.

"Where did Bruce go?" I asked Alfred.

"He had some business issues he had to go deal with. Are you okay? I heard you yell a few minutes ago."

"Yea, I'm great. The Board of Pediatricionary Care called and said they have an open spot to take the board test. They want me to take it early!" I said.

"Well Congratulations! This calls for a celebration." He suggested.

"How about this, If I pass we will celebrate?"

"That sounds like a deal I can't pass up. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Thanks Alfred, I have to go to the hospital because I have quite a number of patients to see. But I just realized that I don't have a way to get there. Could you take me?"

"I would be delighted, Miss Madeline."

About 30 minutes later we arrived at the Hospital, "Thank you for the ride, Alfred. I guess I'll see you later."

"You're welcome. And hopefully it won't be as long as it has been." He said smiling.

The past two months had been really busy, leaving me no time to stop and think about what had happened _that night_. Paranoia was long gone, but my questions were still floating around in my head.

Bruce and I had become quite good friends. We often shared lunch and dinner with each other. I thought that maybe there could be something more than friends there, but Bruce's actions seemed to prove that theory false, because he would show up at different events with a different woman or women on his arms. I understood the fact that I was just "Madeline; the childhood friend" and not "Madeline; the girlfriend", but I didn't want to admit it. The cover of the tabloids didn't help either. Slowly, I began learning where my place was in Bruce's life.

It was around 3am when I finally was able to leave the hospital from my 14 hour shift. The flu was going around, yet again, and every child seemed to catch it. When I got into my car I found the note I left myself that said "Get Milk, Cereal, and toothpaste."

"Ugh", I said to myself.

There was a quick mart about 2 blocks from my apartment and I decided that I would go there instead of doing the whole supermarket deal. My eyelids were heavier than they than they were 10 minutes ago, and I knew I could be in and out of the quick mart in 5 minutes tops.

I managed to make it in and grab a basket when I heard a gun shot ring in the front of the store. Before I knew it, a large man with a gun grabbed me and put the gun to my head.

"Give me all your money or the chick meets her maker." He shouted.

I was scared out of my mind and I just knew I was going to die. The coldness of the barrel was digging into my right temple, and panic was starting to settle in.

"I said now!!" He screamed, while the cashier emptied the contents of the cash register into a grocery bag that said "Thank You, Come Again" on it. Five minutes later, the bag was filled with cash and was securely in the hands of the robber, along with me. I thought the "deal" was for him to get the money and let me go. Apparently, I was wrong.

"Come on", he said still shoving the gun into my temple.

My instinct told me that I was not going to be released from this mad man, easily. So, I grabbed his arm and twisted it so the gun was facing away from me. He began cursing and trying to get his arm free, while I held on with all that I had. One moment I was twisting this man's arm and the next I was lying on the wet pavement looking up into the barrel of a 9mm.

"You got a little fight in ya, I like that." He commented.

"Then you're gonna love me!" A raspy, familiar voice said. It was Batman.

The robber didn't stand a chance, because in on swift movement Batman had thrown him to the ground and tied him up. My eyes seemed to stay right on the caped crusader while he was tying the robber up. Then I noticed him walking towards me.

"Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded in response. He walked closer to me and held out his hand to help me off the ground.

"You should be more careful." He warned me.

All I could even say was "Okay." Next thing I knew, he was gone.

As I sat in my office, every detail of the incident of last night kept creeping into my mind. It was all I could think about. There was some mail lying on my desk and I decided that I would try to get my mind off Batman by opening it. It was mostly information I had requested, or a bill. But under that was an envelope from the PCB (Peditricionary Care Board). It had been 3 weeks since I took the test, so I was a little confused as to why the results got here so fast. It usually takes up to 2 months or more. I opened it and it read, "Congratulations, Dr. Thomas, you have passed the board test and are now a member of the PCB."

"Oh my god," I said to myself before running out of my office in search of Loren. I found her in the break room reading some tabloid.

"Loren, you will never guess what happened!!" I said.

"You won the lottery and met the man of your dreams and he proposed to you and you are going to live in England along with the rest of his family?" she asked.

"No. I passed my boards!!" I exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Madi. I knew you would pass it."

"I'm so happy right now, I don't know what to do with myself." We both laughed.

"We are going to celebrate!"

"Right now?" I asked

"Yes, right now!!"

We arrived at La Petite, one of the most prestigious restaurants in Gotham, and were immediately seated.

"Loren, how did you get reservations so quick?" I asked.

"Well, I know the owner." She said smiling.

"I shouldn't have asked."

"Hey Madi, Isn't that Bruce over there?" I turned to see Bruce sitting at a table with a gorgeous blond model.

"We should invite him over here to celebrate with us." She suggested.

"No, he's proba…"

"Bruce!" she said while waving him down. He noticed her gesturing him and walked over to our table.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He said while looking directly at me. I smiled.

"Bruce, have you heard that Madi here has passed her boards?" She asked.

"No, I haven't. Well, congratulations, Madi. I knew you would pass." That wasn't the first time I heard that today.

"I wish I could stay and celebrate with you both, but I have a meeting that I believe I'm already late to." He said then turned towards me.

"Can we talk later?" he asked.

"Yea, sure." I answered.

"Great, then I'll call you. You ladies have a nice day." He said.

"I wonder what Bruce wants to talk about." I said to myself.

**Reviews are gratefully appreciated. Thank you! )**

**I know I used a line from TDK, but that line is one of the best lines ever.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Batman or any of the DC characters. I do own Dr. Madeline Thomas and the characters that support her.**

After my celebration lunch with Loren, I had to return to the hospital because the ER Pediatrician had caught the flu. I hated working in the ER, it was too chaotic and I felt as if I had to rush myself. The atmosphere was creepy, also.

It had been about 7 hours since I had eaten lunch and from the way the waiting room was looking it would be another 7 before I'd get to eat again. I had never seen it so busy here.

"Dr. Thomas, I think it's time for your break." The nurse suggested. By the way my stomach was rumbling, I totally agreed.

"Okay, thanks." I said nicely.

As I was walking into the cafeteria, I realized that I never called Bruce. "He must think I'm ignoring him" I stated mentally. But right now, Bruce would have to wait, because I was in desperate need of nutrition.

It didn't take me long to eat, since all the cafeteria was serving was potato chips and soda. You would think that a hospital would have healthier foods, but then again I was in Gotham.

"I should call Bruce." Even though it was around 8pm I thought it would be a bit impolite to call the manor, so I called Bruce's cell.

It rang and rang and rang until I heard his voicemail.

"You've reached Bruce Wayne's phone, please leave a message and I will try to return your call. Thank you."

No luck there. Okay, so maybe 8 wasn't late but what if Alfred has already gone to sleep, I would feel horrible if I awoke him.

"I'll call him first thing in the morning." I said to myself while returning to the ER.

It was really early in the morning, when I got back to my apartment. I was so tired I didn't even make it into my bed, I just kind of collapsed on the couch. About 2 hours later I woke up with the tv remote imprinted on the side of my face. "Ugh." I moaned. I needed a shower and from my assumptions, a facial.

I had worked hard the day before so the least I could do was treat myself to a long shower and some pancakes. Ah, pancakes. "Pancakes! I need to call Bruce." I didn't even try his cell phone, I just called the Manor because I knew someone would answer there.

"Hello, Alfred speaking." He answered.

"Alfred, how are you this morning?"

"Ah, Miss Madeline, I'm rather well. And yourself?"

"I'm a bit tired, but other than that I'm good. Is Bruce there?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid that he has caught the flu and is feeling under the weather."

"Do you need me to come out there and check on him, because I would be mo…"

"That is very kind of you, but right now all he can do is rest."

"Oh, okay. If you need anything, Alfred, feel free to call. And tell Bruce that he better get well soon, because his birthday is just a few days away."

"I will tell him that. Are you coming to the party? I remember sending you an invitation."

"Oh, I'm planning on coming."

"That's great, I will see you then, dear. Good day."

"Bye."

That was probably the weirdest conversation I had ever had with Alfred. He sounded as if he was lying. If Bruce didn't want to talk to me he could have just said it. But then why would Bruce tell me to call him and that we had something to talk about if he was just going to ignore me.

It had been 3 days now, and I had not heard a word from Bruce. I called Alfred, yesterday to check up on Bruce, but all he said was that he was still feeling bad. I was beginning to wonder if he was going to cancel Bruce's Birthday Party, considering that today was his birthday.

Oh man, the party. I hadn't been to one of the social gatherings since high school. The atmosphere of those parties made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Between being stared at by the richest people in Gotham, and being questioned about every bit of my life and wearing a totally expensive uncomfortable dress, I would have to plaster a fake smile on my face. Let's just say I wasn't looking forward to it.

I had bought a dress, and it was something I would never wear. When I tried it on, I remember Loren saying that I looked like a "classy slut." I guess that is what sealed the deal. I wanted to shock everyone there with my total change from the last time I attended one of these hell holes. Turning heads was not the only thing I was shooting for. I wanted a few jaw drops and an "Oh my god" here and there.

Before I knew it the time had slipped by and I started to get ready. After a shower, blow-drying and styling my hair and applying some makeup, I put my show-stopper dress on. It was deep red, strapless and it clung to all the right curves.

"Oh my god, so that is what you are hiding under those blue scrubs!" Amanda commented.

"I know! She does have a butt, didn't I tell you?" Loren added.

"Wow, you talk about my butt to Amanda?" I asked.

"I was telling her what the dress looked like on you, duh." Loren said.

"You better hurry up, you're going to be late!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Alright, how do I look?" I asked while grabbing my clutch.

"Hott." They both said in unison.

When I arrived at he party, there were photographer's everywhere snapping photos like it was going out of style. I didn't really recognize any of these people and I'm sure they didn't know me, but that didn't keep them from staring. I immediately went towards the bar. I'm not the biggest drinker, but I felt the need for some liquid courage. Alfred spotted me quickly, and walked towards me.

"Miss Madeline, I must say that you look very beautiful this evening."

"Thank you, Alfred. Is Bruce here?" I asked.

"Yes, he's getting ready. He had a few errands to run this afternoon and I'm afraid he didn't pay attention to the time." Alfred said.

"Time sure can fly by."

"Indeed. I hate to leave you here by yourself, but there are a few things I have to attend to."

"It's okay, I think I can manage." I said smiling as he turned and walked off.

About an hour later, after I talked to a bunch of people that know my parents, I was beginning to worry about Bruce. He hadn't even showed up to his own party, yet. I was feeling a bit overheated, because it seemed that everyone's big egos were sucking all the cool air down, so I stepped onto the balcony outside.

While I was out there, I heard the people begin to sing that familiar tune. Then it was interrupted by Bruce yelling about drinking his booze or something. I noticed that the guest started to leave, with the same disgusted look on there face. Then I looked towards Bruce, who was standing in the middle of the room talking to an unfamiliar man. There was no way that Bruce could be drunk enough to kick all of his invited guests out and ruin the reputation that his father had made for him. I knew something was going down as I walked in to the large room.

"Bruce, what the hell is going on!?" I shouted towards him, but then I was grabbed from behind.

**Thank you for reading, please review and tell me what you think.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Batman or any of the DC characters. I do own the OCs. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed. **

AU- I'm not really happy with this update. So, I might rewrite it.

* * *

Here I was, held down by some guy in a room surrounded by "his friends" I presumed. My arms were beginning to go numb by the stranger's grasp. I looked to Bruce with a pain filled expression on my face.

"Let her go! She has nothing to do with any of this." Bruce yelled.

"Ahh, Mr. Wayne I believe she does. You see the city of Gotham is going to be destroyed, along with all of its citizens. She falls into the citizens' part." The man standing in front of Bruce said.

"No, I will not let you do that." Bruce replied.

"The process has already started. What are you going to do? Put your little batsuit on and save the city." He said. Bruce leaped onto the man and they began to fight. The fight didn't last long before the man had Bruce pin to the ground. He said something to his friends and they immediately started to pour gas all over the mansion.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"How about you shut up." One of the men replied.

"You can't do this!!" I exclaimed.

"Watch us." And with that I was tied to a chair as they lit the match.

When I turned to see where Bruce was I saw him lying on the floor unconscious with a large wood frame on top of him. My hands were tied together in some kind of special knot, because it just wasn't coming loose. I was frantic; my mind was racing with thought on how to save Bruce and myself. The only thing I could really do was scream for help. Luckily, Alfred, who had been in the kitchen during all the chaos, came running into the room.

He ran to me first and untied me, and then we both went over to Bruce.

"Wake up, Bruce!" I yelled.

"A little help over here would be nice, Miss Madeline." Alfred said asking for help lifting the wooden frame. We couldn't get it to move the slightest bit. After a few minutes of fighting with the frame, Bruce came into consciousness. He saw the frame lying atop of him so he lifted it, like it was a feather, and crawled out from underneath it. Even though we were surrounded by flames, Bruce and Alfred lead me to a study. There Bruce played a few keys on the piano and a door opened from the bookshelf.

"What the Fu.." I said before being jerked into what looked like a prehistoric elevator. I could see the flames engulf the study we were once standing in. At the end of the elevator was a cave, a rather well lit cave.

"Are you okay?" I nodded, then Bruce cupped my face.

"I have to tell you something, but you have to promise to keep it a secret." He said.

"I think I already know, Batman." He smiled.

"Ahhemm" a very upset Alfred coughed." Maybe we should save the flirting for a later time. Right now Gotham needs Batman to save them from utter destruction."

I hated to admit the fact that I was scared. Scared not only for the people of Gotham, but for Bruce and Alfred. What was going to happen to Batman when Gotham decides that they don't need him anymore? What would happen if Batman's true identity was discovered? The more I thought the more questions I seemed to gather. Questions to which I didn't have the answers. I hate not knowing the answers.

It had been 6 hours since the train came to an abrupt stop right infront of Wayne Tower and the Wayne Manor was burnt to the ground. Six hours since I had laid eyes on Bruce.

After Bruce had left to save Gotham, the best place I thought for me to be was the hospital. So that's where I now sit, impatiently waiting for some sign of the man I seemed to be falling in love with, again. That's when I began to realize that I couldn't do this. I couldn't sit up worrying about Bruce every night. I couldn't put myself through that mentally. Even though I loved Bruce, I couldn't deal with the secrets or the lies that I would have to produce to keep his secret.

Ring.Ring.Ring.

"hello?" I said answering a private call on my cell.

"Are you okay?" a familiar raspy voice asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Where are you?"

"The Hospital." I answered.

"Stay there." He said before hanging up.

"Like I have anywhere else to go to keep myself from going insane." I muttered to myself.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Batman Begins or any of the DC characters. I do own the OCs. Please Review and tell me what you think. Sorry it took me so long to update, I was having a small case of writer's block.**

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It had been16 hours since chaos had unfolded in Gotham. Everything had just come to a complete halt, because the police had put everyone on shut down. We were not allowed to leave wherever we were for anything. And no one knew what was going on, because they had been keeping the whole incident really quiet.

I had never really left my office since Bruce had called me. My mind was just completely exhausted and confused. I needed something to do to get my mind off things, so I started to organize my desk. When I went through my mail I found a letter from a hospital in Massachusetts. They had heard how well I had done on the Board test and how excellent of a Doctor I was, and they wanted me to transfer there. Along with paid moving cost, I would be receiving a very large raise from what I had been receiving here at Gotham General.

"Maybe this is exactly what I need, a clean break from Gotham and the strings that seemed to tie me down here." I thought, and then was interrupted.

_Knock knock._

"Come in." I said as the door opened to show my patient, Sarah.

"Madi, why do we have to stay inside?"

"Sarah, you are supposed to stay in your room. Remember our deal?"

"Yeah, but you said that if I stay in my room and not walk around the hospital, that you would take me outside for a walk everyday." She said.

"We can't take a walk outside today."

"Why?"

"Because there are a lot of bad things going on outside right now."

"But you pinky promised me." She said giving me one of those puppy dog looks.

"Okay, but we are just going to go on the roof. Deal?"

"YAY!" She exclaimed.

I got up out of my chair and took her by the hand. We climbed the two sets of stairs, and then we reached the roof. The roof was more than just a great spot to see the city, it was a helicopter pad.

"Madi! Do helicopters really land here!?" She asked.

"Yes, they do. But only when people are really sick and need to get here fast." I answered.

"Look at the lights!" She said running towards the edge of the building.

"SARAH!" I said grabbing her before she reached the edge. "You can't get near the edge because you will fall over." She looked at me confused.

"It's okay Madi, Batman will save me!" She assured me.

"You can't always depend on someone to save you, Sarah. Sometimes you are going to have to save yourself." I said.

"Batman will always be here to save us."

"That's what I'm scared of." I muttered.

"What did you say, Madi?"

"Nothing. I think its time we went back inside."

I walked her back to her room and tucked her in.

"Thank you for taking me for a walk." Sarah said.

"No problem, now you get some rest."

"Okay."

When I arrived back at my office, I decided to call Cambridge Medical Center about the letter I had received earlier. But before anyone could answer, the power went off and the phone lines were disconnected. The backup generators clicked on instantly, but the phone lines were still dead. I hurried out of my office and went to the nearest nurses' station to see what was going on.

"Loren, what is going on?" I asked.

"Something cut the phone lines and the power. We are on lockdown and everyone is advised to stay locked in their offices or rooms. Madi, I think someone is here that shouldn't be." She said with a worried look on her face.

"You can go in my office, if you will feel safer there." I said walking towards the elevator.

"Wait, where are you going?" She asked.

"To find out what the hell is going on here."

As an emergency precaution the elevators were immediately shut down when the lights went off, so I had to take the stairs. I arrived at the first floor in the lobby, and through the glass doors I saw many police cars outside. Before I had time to react, someone grabbed my shirt and jerked me backwards. I couldn't see the person's face because of the darkness.

"Ahh, Dr. Matthews." He began to say. "You are very brave. They told everyone to stay in there rooms and lock the doors, yet here you are running down here like you are the hero or something." He paused. "What are you afraid of Dr. Matthews?" He said.

"What are you afraid of?" I asked back.

"I asked first, so it's correct that you answer."

"I'm afraid of…." Right at the moment Batman leaped out from behind the information desk and tackled the man who was once standing on front of me.

The man pushed Batman back and came running towards me.

"Time to see your fear!" He exclaimed before spraying me with something.

I felt like my chest was collapsing and my mind was going to explode. I couldn't catch my breath and I began shaking. Everything turned into darkness and every few minutes I'd hear someone calling my name. After what seemed like forever, I felt myself slipping away from reality.

* * *

_"__Madeline Matthews, do you take Bruce Wayne to be your beloved husband?"_

_"__I do."_

_"__Bruce Wayne, do you take Madeline Matthews to be your beloved wife?"_

_"__I do."_

_"__I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Batman."_

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, waking me from my nightmare.

"It's alright, calm down, Madeline." Alfred said.

"Alfred, Where am I?"

"You are at Wayne Tower." He said.

"What happened? I said trying to sit up. "Ouch."

"You were attacked and poisoned."

"How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Three Days. We were beginning to get worried about you, dear."

"She's awake?" Someone asked.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Batman or any of the DC characters. I do own the OCs. **

**Sorry it took so long to update, I have a lot going on right now.**

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"I'm glad to see that you finally woke up." Bruce said smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel rough." I replied.

"What really happened, Bruce? Alfred only told me the gist of it."

"It's a long story, Madi."

"I think I have time."

"Well, the guy that rudely interrupted my party was planning to destroy the city of Gotham by putting a halogen in the water. They stole an emitter from my company that evaporates water into steam. Basically, he was planning on poisoning everyone with halogen steam."

"What kind of halogen was it?"

"It made you see what you fear the most."

* * *

"_Dr. Thomas, what do you fear?"_

"_Time for you to see what you fear most."_

* * *

After eating some eggs and a glass of orange juice, I went outside and sat down in one of the chairs that were on the balcony. I couldn't begin to deal with what had happened three days earlier, so I tried to just clear my mind. I heard the door open and turned to see Bruce taking a seat beside me.

"Madi, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Things." I replied.

"You know you can talk to me, right."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay."

"Bruce." I said and he looked up. "I got a letter in the mail from a hospital in Massachusetts, they want me to transfer there."

"Are you going to take the position?" He asked in a more serious tone.

"I really think I need to just get away from Gotham, right now." He looked down.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"Don't think that it's because of you, because it's not at all. I've needed a break for a long time. I guess it took everything that has happened in the past few months for me to realize it." I said staring at my hands.

"I don't want to have to say goodbye to you again."

"You won't have to. It's not like I'm running away and never coming back. I still have family and friends here. And besides, I haven't even really accepted yet."

"So, I still have a chance to persuade you to stay?" He said raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe." I replied, standing up and stretching. He followed me in the same manner.

"I'll buy you a big apartment. No, how about a new car?" He said.

"Bruce! You can't bribe me." I said laughing, and playfully hitting him on the arm.

"Oh, yeah right."

Both of us had things to do the rest of the day, so I thanked him for the life saving antidote and hugged him and Alfred and went to my apartment.

* * *

_One month later…_

"_**Madi, I love you please don't go."**_

"_**Bruce, I can't stay here…"**_

"Dr. Thomas, you are needed in OR 1 immediately." A nurse said waking me from my dream.

"Alright, I'll be right there." I said standing up and running towards the ladies locker room.

It was my second week in Massachusetts and already I was wishing I was still in Gotham. Not because the work schedule here was chaotic, but because I missed Bruce. I missed his cockiness and that feeling of security that I had when I was around him.

As I walked out of the locker room I headed for OR 1 where I began scrubbing in. My mind was clouded by thoughts of Bruce, thoughts that I needed to get out of my head fast.

"What's the info?" I asked walking in.

"White, Male, 62 years old. Perfect health. Was hit on the highway by a transfer truck. Vital signs are fading." One of the OR nurses responded.

While putting on the latex gloves I looked down at the patient and my heart stopped.

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**I will try my best to update this again later in the week. I hope you enjoyed it!! **

**-LeleChaos**


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Batman or any of the DC characters....poo.**

**But I do own Dr. Madison Thomas and the characters affiliated with her. **

**Thank you to all my reviewers, I probably wouldn't have kept writing this if it wasn't for you guys. 3

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**

"Dr. Thomas! Dr. Thomas! He is going into shock." I heard a nurse say.

"Dr. Thomas!" they repeated multiple times.

"Get her out of here and someone get the defibrillator out, pronto." My colleague said.

I felt them grab my shoulders and somehow my legs responded when they began pushing me out of the OR. They sat me down and began to ask me questions like "Are you feeling dizzy? Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" But the question that got me was "Do you know him?" I simply nodded. They looked to each other, then stood up and walk towards the nurse's desk.

Madison Thomas, the person, was screaming to go back into OR 1 and see how Alfred was, but Madison Thomas, the doctor, knew that it would only make things worse. So, I did what I had taught myself to do, stop feeling.

I slowly arose from the chair and walked to the nurse's station.

"Do you know how the patient in OR 1 obtained his injuries?" I asked hoping she wouldn't get all confidentiality first on me.

"When we got the call from the Ambulance they said that he was driving south from Gotham City when a tractor trailer hit a patch of ice and swerved into his car. The driver of the tractor trailer only obtained small injuries." She told me.

"Have you found any relatives?" I asked.

"No, that's where I'm having some problems. It says that he is the guardian of a deceased man, but that's it."

"He's not dead."

"And you would know how?"

"Because the patient is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's Butler/Guardian." She didn't say anything; she just looked up at me.

"I know him and I think I should be the one to make that phone call."

"Mmhmm, you just want to keep Bruce Wayne to yourself, don't you?" She said jokingly, as I walked away rolling my eyes.

**_..Ring._**

"Bruce Wayne." He answered.

"Hey Bruce, its Madison." I said.

"Oh hey, have you heard from Alfred he was coming to surprise you? I guess his cell phone is out of signal or something because he isn't answering." I wanted to cry.

"Bruce, something has happened."

"What?" He said changing his voice to a serious tone.

"I need you to come to the Massachusetts General hospital immediately."

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Madison please tell me what is going on."

"It's Alfred." I said finally bursting out into tears.

2 horrible hours later I found myself standing outside at the emergency exit doors waiting for Bruce to arrive. Usually it took 3 ½ to 4 hours to get from Gotham to Boston but with Bruce's Lamborghini and lead foot he could have gotten there in 30 minutes. I think the only reason it was taking him this long is because I made him promise me that he wouldn't drive like a maniac.

A few seconds later I heard the roar of a Lamborghini pull into one of the empty spaces. I was then greeted with a very upset Bruce Wayne.

"How is he?" He asked.

"He is stable for now, they are keeping a very close eye on his heart."

"What's wrong with his heart?"

"It stopped beating." I really should stop being a Doctor and be a friend.

"I want to see him." He told me.

"Alright." I said then walked back into the hospital with Bruce following me.

I took him to Alfred's room door and I saw him hesitate before entering. Moments later when I looked into the window of the ICU room I saw Bruce holding Alfred's hand while crying his eyes out. At that moment I wish I had powers that could undo time and make all of this like it never happened.

I knew the press would be all over this if they saw it so I went to the head of the hospital and explained the situation and asked him for extra security in the ICU. Like any decent human being, he agreed and then began to make some phone calls to the head of security.

Sometime around 3am I went up to Alfred's room to check up on him and see how Bruce was. When I walked in Bruce wasn't there. So I walked over to Alfred and sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"Alfred." I said.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you. It's all my fault. If I wouldn't have moved here then you wouldn't have come to surprise me and then you wouldn't have gotten into that wreck and you wouldn't be lying here with all these IVs and monitors checking your every heartbeat. I'm so sorry, Alfred." I said crying.

"It's not your fault." I heard Bruce say.

"Yes it is, Bruce." I said looking up.

"No, it's mine. I was supposed to come with Alfred to surprise you, but I was afraid that if I saw you that every feeling that I have been trying to hide for the past month would come rushing back to me. I lied to him, I told him I had a last minute meeting with one of my clients." He said backing up to the wall then slowly sliding down it, with his hands covering his face.

I walked over and sat down right beside him.

"Madi." He said looking up at me.

"Yea."

"I'm tired of this game we're playing. I love you and I know that you love me. I know we both have some things to work through, but we can make it. I don't want to ever have to watch you walk away from me, again." I looked him straight in the eye.

"You'll never have to, because I'm not going anywhere."

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**Please Review and tell me what you think. Constructive Criticism is always welcomed. =)**

**-LeleChaos.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm sorry it's been so long since i've updated this. Life has been going on and things happen. But here it is, chapter 10. I'm not really sure where i'm going to go with this, but i would really love some ideas. So just message me! Please review and let me know what you think.**

**and i'm sorry it's not longer. =/

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**

It had been two weeks since Alfred's accident, and two weeks since Bruce and I had put our guards down and stopped being ignorant about our love. Right now the only thing that could make life better was for Alfred to wake up and have a full recovery, but the chances for that right now were still pretty low.

As a doctor, I know the chances of him being able to wake up and be the same and those chances were not good. Over a certain period of time the brain starts decreasing it's activity while in a coma, the organs become more reliable on machines and medication.

I keep trying not to think about it and get myself to focus on the positive side of things. But I've always been a pessimist.

"Hey." Bruce said while walking into the cafeteria. He pulled up a chair beside me and sat down.

"Hey." I replied.

A few moments of silence fell between us before either one of us said a word.

"I want a few kids and a dog." He said.

"What?" I asked flabbergasted. "Where did that come from?"

"I've been in a hospital for 2 weeks and I've seen people who are sick and have their whole family with them, comforting them and loving them. Then on the other hand, I've seen people who are sick and have no one. They are completely alone. I don't want that to be me."

"We will go buy you a dog today then." I said trying to make light of the conversation.

"You are not funny. And I'm serious."

"Okay, I'm sorry I was making fun of you." I said.

_.buzz._

I grabbed my pager from my hip and looked down at the screen.

Emergency. RM 423.

"Wait. That's Alfred's room." I thought to myself.

I jumped out of the chair and dashed for his room, knocking over a flower cart on my way. When I reached his room there was numerous doctors gathered around the bed talking. I rushed in.

"What's going on?" I asked urgently.

"He's awake." One of them answered.

At that very moment a wave of relief flowed over me. I walked over to the bed and looked him in the eyes.

"Alfred." I whispered. "Alfred." I barely said before I busted into tears.

"I'm so sorry Alfred. If I wouldn't have moved here and made everything so complicated, you wouldn't be lying her hooked to a thousand machines…"

"Miss Madeline" he whispered, "Miss Madeline, please stop crying."

I looked up to see him smile at me weakly. I reached over all the cords and tubes and gave him a hug, apologizing again several times in the process.

After several minutes and a exam of his vital signs, Alfred was unhooked from a majority of the machines. I told him I would be back in few, after I check some things.

When I walked out of his room I found Bruce sitting in one of the waiting room chairs with his head between his legs. As I approached him closer, I noticed he was crying.

"Bruce, what's wrong?" I asked while taking a seat next to him.

"How can you be so emotionless in a time like this?" he spat.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw how you ran when your pager went off for Alfred's room, and I saw them take all the machines away." He cried.

"Oh, no. Bruce they are taking the machines away because Alfred woke up."

"He's alive?" he asked.

"Yes."


End file.
